Valerius Maximus, Gaius

8vo (166 x 97mm.), text in italics (with gaps where Greek text should be printed), with final blank, nineteenth-century red morocco, gilt edges, without the additional quire a⁸ after preliminaries, some annotations washed, a few marginal repairs to last few leaves

Extract from a sale catalogue pasted to flyleaf, priced £4-4s, and £1.18.0, price in pencil on flyleaf; William O'Brien, bequest booklabel dated 1899

D.J. Shaw, "The Lyons counterfeit of Aldus's italic type: a new chronology", The Italian Book 1465-1800 (London, 1993), pp.117-133, no. 12; von Gültlingen, Balthazard I de Gabiano 24; cf. Renouard 307/15 (with the Greek text printed)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A Lyon counterfeit of the second issue of the Aldine 1502 Valerius Maximus (see previous two lots), a page-for-page reprint with the colophon and the dates in the prefaces removed. This is one of the early counterfeits, according to David Shaw, with no Greek type. Von Gültlingen also lists an earlier counterfeit, based on the first issue of October 1502.

David Shaw gives the collation as *⁴ a⁸ A¹² B-Z aa-cc⁸, but this copy does not contain the quire a⁸, and its collation matches the original Aldine edition exactly. The copy in the Bibliothèque nationale de France has the additional quire a⁸, which contains a reprint of the beginning of the text, presumably in line with the first issue which has quire a with 8 leaves, and an owner of this copy disposed of the now obsolete quire.